Chili feed, auctions on tap for Saturday

STARK CITY — Ready for some chili and to help raise money for a good cause, then the annual Stark City Volunteer Fire Department’s chili feed and auction is the place to be on Saturday.

Todd G. Higdon

STARK CITY — Ready for some chili and to help raise money for a good cause, then the annual Stark City Volunteer Fire Department’s chili feed and auction is the place to be on Saturday.

“It is our annual fundraiser for the department, it is a big part of our budget, really, it is to support the operation (of the department),” said Ed Schultz, a volunteer with the fire department.

The event – which is held in the Stark City Volunteer Fire Department’s headquarters on the main street in Stark City, will start dinner at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The auction will then commence at 7 p.m.

“We will have chili two different types of chili, hot and mild then there is a big pot of stew, everybody likes stew,” he said. “Hot dogs will be for the kids, all kinds of drinks (lemonade and pop), then pies and cakes, every kind of dessert that you want.”

The dinner is by donations, Schultz noted.

There will be two auctions – a silent and a live auction.

“There will be something for everyone, I am sure,” Schultz said.

Schultz said in the past, that there has been a La-Z-Boy chair provided by La-Z-Boy and also small appliances such as bread machines and coffee pots provided by Jarden. Those items are on the live auction.

For the silent auction, items include gift certificates and other items.

The public is invited to attend.

“We can seat about 200 people (inside the department), and there is that plus, it always draws a good crowd,” he said. “We get people from all around the area.”

Also at the event, those in attendance can see the department’s vehicles.

“We have one new vehicle and presently working on it right now,” he said. “We obtained it from the (Missouri Department of) Conservation, in Lebanon, Mo. it is a tanker, we are upgrading our tanker, increasing our volume up to 3,500 gallons, this tanker will hold. We are getting it ready for service. It will allow us to haul quite a bit more water in the rural areas where it is needed naturally. And hopefully in the next two or three months by spring we will have it online.”

With the new truck, that will bring the department up to four vehicles, to battle fires in the district.

“We will have an engine, pumper and two tankers,” said Schultz. “At present, we have 13 firemen (10 are active and three are recruits).”

Throughout the years, Schultz said the public has supported the volunteer fire department.

“The public has always backed us on anything that we have ever needed,” he said. “Anytime we ever needed something, we always went to our public and they have been very faithful and supporting us in the past.”

Last year during this event, around $6,000 was raised.

As noted, the money that is raised helps the fire department operate. A couple of things that the money goes for are fuel and insurance.

“Fuel and insurance are a big item,” he said. “Our compensation for our firemen runs up to $3,000 a year. That is one of the reasons that this auction is important, it pays for that insurance a year.”